by Andrea Williams
Can you spot the weed in this picture? Then you could be a weed watcher!
It sounds as exciting as watching the grass grow, right? Weed watching is actually a lot like bird watching, except the weeds don’t move as much. And as an added bonus, the information collected by volunteer weed watchers can be used to help us keep Mt. Tamalpais the beautiful, diverse place we love to hike—and you gather that information while you hike!
Weed Watchers is a program to look for the worst plants in the best places. We know where the big patches of weeds are already, but finding new sites while they are still small saves time, saves money, and prevents the damage these plants can do. Plus, knowing where weeds aren’t is important in setting priorities. That’s where you can help. By signing up to be a weed watcher, you get training on the plants we’re most concerned about and how to map them (on paper maps or with a GPS). Then, you go out and hike! You can go with another weed watcher, by yourself, or with staff on a monthly guided saunter. You should have some knowledge of plants and be willing to collect data and deal with the paradox that a successful day means not finding anything!
We are accepting applications through the end of March. Click here for more information on the program.
